1. Field
This invention relates to an ECU arrangement structure for a vehicle, and particularly to an ECU arrangement structure for a vehicle suitable for use with a three-wheel or four-wheel vehicle having a cabin which is not screened from the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ECU (Engine Control Unit) as a controlling apparatus for a vehicle is conventionally known. Since a large number of wiring lines for inputting output signals of various sensors attached to the engine are connected to the ECU, as the distance between the ECU and the engine increases, the length of the wiring lines increases and the vehicle weight, the number of man-hours for assembly and so forth increase. Therefore, in order to suppress the length of the wiring lines, it is a possible idea to dispose the ECU in the proximity of the engine. However, it is necessary to take it into consideration to prevent the ECU, which is a precision apparatus, from being influenced by heat of the engine as a result of such arrangement of the ECU.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 4202610) discloses a configuration wherein, in a motorcycle including an air cleaner box provided at an upper portion of an engine, an ECU is disposed in the inside of the air cleaner box. Consequently, the ECU is disposed in the proximity of the engine while effects of heat of the engine is avoided.
In a MUV (Multi Utility Vehicle) which has a cabin which is not screened from the outside and is suitable for traveling on rough ground or the like, an engine can be frequently disposed below the cabin or at a like place and an air cleaner box is frequently disposed on the vehicle body rear side with respect to the engine. In such arrangement as just described, the temperature around the air cleaner box can be high due to heat of the engine flowing toward the rear of the vehicle body upon traveling of the vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult to apply the technique disclosed in Patent Document as it is to the MUV described above to dispose the ECU in the inside of the air cleaner box. Further, if the ECU is disposed in the inside of the air cleaner box, then the actual capacity of the air cleaner box decreases, and therefore, the actual required capacity must be assured.